Rockets keeping options open while waiting for dominoes to start falling

The addition of Chris Bosh would give the Rockets a true stretch four, who can also defend well. (Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)

Weirdly entertaining as the first week of free agency has been, things will get interesting and considerably more meaningful quickly. The Rockets have by now had their fill of weird.

Their preference would be for things to take shape by having Carmelo Anthony pick them, a possibility that has seemed less likely since he left Texas to consider spending his seasons near his off-season home in California.

That hope has not stopped the efforts to move on one of their other prime targets, Miami forward Chris Bosh. ESPN.com reported that the Rockets have ramped up their efforts to attract Bosh, but in keeping with the peculiarity of the week, they have not actually been able to speak directly with Bosh or schedule a meeting to do that.

As has been the case since well before free agency recruiting began, the Rockets’ chance at Bosh could be triggered by LeBron James leaving Miami. While that has seemed more likely than a week ago, he too has no meetings scheduled, other than a sit down this week with Heat president Pat Riley reported by USA Today in which Riley could give a roster-building progress report.

Those potential twists came after a weekend of reports that Anthony was choosing between the Lakers and Knicks, Anthony and Kobe Bryant reportedly stopped by UCLA for some pickup ball. Though it turned out they were never there at the same time, or with Kevin Love as some Tweets suggested, the tale quickly went viral, as if Anthony needed to see Bryant in action as he had Derrick Rose in Chicago.

Things were odder earlier in the day when Cleveland owner Dan Gilbert’s plane was tracked heading to South Florida, moving him to announce that he was relaxing happily in his backyard.

Still, strange as it has been, if Anthony does choose to take his talents to Westwood or keep them on Broadway, the Rockets would happily go through the whole thing again with James or Bosh, if either was so inclined.

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Either that, or James could go from slowing free agent deal making to slamming the brakes on the potential breakup of the Heat if he decides Riley will put enough talent around him.

That could all return the Rockets to where they started, but after nearly a week, the only thing certain for the Rockets is that they are not planning to retire Jeremy Lin’s number.

As much as the whole to-do about having Anthony depicted wearing the No. 7 that Lin wore the past two seasons might have been simultaneously avoidable and overblown, the entire endeavor could accomplish no more than hurt Lin’s feelings and outrage his legion of devoted followers.

The Rockets would never have had to choose who gets to wear the number – Lin would be moved to create the cap room for Anthony – any more than they concerned themselves with Dwight Howard still being known as D12 after joining the Rockets, even though at the time Pat Beverley was No. 12 on their roster.

Beyond the dis or distraction caused by photo-shop faux pas, the Rockets’ day with Anthony might have been well-received, but could soon be ultimately futile. A day later, the met with the Lakers, received a max contract offer and by the weekend, was reportedly strongly considering the Lakers along the favored incumbent Knicks.

Anthony has been happy living and working in New York during the season, and living in Los Angeles in the off-season. Everyone else had to convince him he would be at least as content elsewhere, hoping that joining a better team would move him to move.

He might instead choose to play for a team where he lives and buy into the plan to keep building around him. If the Lakers land Anthony, that likely would mean keeping Pau Gasol. That would remove another Rockets’ target from the free agent market, but they have not made much traction with him. Some of that could be because they have offered their cap room to someone else, but if Anthony chooses to go elsewhere and the Heat stick together, the Rockets’ free agency plan would shift to filling out the roster.

That could be tricky, too, and also impacted by Anthony’s decision. If Anthony opts to play in New York or Los Angeles, Dallas and Chicago could step up the pursuit of Chandler Parsons. The Rockets have been steadfast in their intention to match any offer Parsons receives and would be even more motivated to lock him up if they don’t have one of the most coveted free agents of the summer to take his spot, but that would still leave them treading water.

The Rockets would also have to replace Omer Asik, who is bound for New Orleans in a cap-clearing move. They quickly reached out to former Rockets forward Jordan Hill as soon as free agency opened. They were interested in Thabo Sefolosha, who is now headed to Atlanta. They touched base with Luol Deng and Trevor Ariza, who are likely to get much greater offers than the Rockets would give for a player at Parsons’ position. Kyle Lowry was always a longshot backup plan, and quickly chose to return to Toronto. Spencer Hawes will sign on with the Clippers.

The Rockets were not as invested in any of those pursuits as they have been the chase for Anthony, or would be if James or Bosh gives a look their way.

That would go a long way toward relieving the pain, even if only temporarily, if they don’t land Anthony. And the potential reward of another week of weirdness would be considered worth the trouble.

Still, it might not have been a bad idea to have Dwight Howard hustle back to his old UCLA workout gym to call “next.”